On Tuesday, Governor Kay Ivey met with Japanese Consul General Mio Maeda in Montgomery. Japan is one of Alabama’s top trading partners, and many Japanese companies, including Honda, Toyota, and Mazda, have a substantial manufacturing presence in Alabama.
“I was honored to host Consul General Maeda in my office this morning,” Gov. Ivey said on Twitter. “With over 80 Japanese companies that call Alabama home, this robust relationship has produced great economic growth across the state. Truly, there is no stronger partner state to Japan than Alabama.”
Gov. Ivey and Consul General Maeda were joined by Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield.
Sec. Canfield said on Twitter, “Good meeting today between Consul General Maeda and Governor Ivey. Thank you to Honorary CG Mark Jackson for his assistance.”
“The Southeast has strong ties with Japan,” Maeda said on the Atlanta consulate’s homepage. “These states host a large number of Japanese companies and offer a direct flight to Japan from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which is said to be the busiest airport in the world.”
Maeda became Consul General in Atlanta on November 3, 2022. Maeda has served in Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1990, but this is his first position in the United States. He previously served as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland located in Bern. In 2013, Maeda worked as Minister-Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and in 2014 returned to Japan to serve as Director of the Southwest Asia Division (Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department, MOFA, Japan). He served in the Imperial Household Agency in 2015. He was appointed Chamberlain to HIH, the Crown Prince of Japan, and later as Chamberlain to HM the Emperor of Japan, until 2019, when he was assigned to the Embassy in Switzerland. Maeda is married and has one daughter. He resides in Atlanta with his wife.
“The Southeast is great not only for business but also the Southeast is blessed with land full of nature and famous for its people’s ‘Southern Hospitality,’” Maeda added. “I’ve heard this is a very comfortable and good area to live. I would like to get used to life here and make my own form of hospitality combining Japanese ‘omotenashi’ and Southern’ hospitality.’”
Japan is Alabama’s fifth largest trading partner, trailing only Germany, China, Canada, and Mexico. Alabama exported one billion dollars worth of goods to Japan in 2022 – a 42% increase from 2021. Alabama set a new record of $25.5 billion in exports in 2022.
Probably even more important has been Japanese investment in Alabama. Investments in Alabama from South Korea, Canada, Japan, and Germany are credited by Canfield with contributing to $1.8 billion in investments in rural Alabama in 2022, creating 1,900 new jobs.
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